LITTLE BRITAIN, (OCP) –The school at the west end
of Little Britain was built before the Town of New Windsor was
divided into school districts, as were most of the other schools.
The deed of 1810 by which James Clinton gave the site for the
school shows the school already built.
The deed reads in part as follows: Indenture made Feb. 17, 1810 between James Clinton, party of the first part, and John Sly, Josiah Brown, James Davis, Henry Miller and William Beatty. Trustees appointed and chosen for the schoolhouse lately built on lands of the said James Clinton…The said James Clinton for and in consideration of having a good school established in the neighborhood conveys all that small lot being part of the farm whereon the said James Clinton now lives … whereon the schoolhouse lately built now stands…on the northerly side of the highway that leads to New Windsor…containing 20 perches of land…for no other purposes whatsoever except for the use of a school. Witnessed by Thomas McClelland and John Gray.
That building was still standing until quite recently. It stood on the west side of Weed Road a short distance north of Little Britain Road. It was used as a barn, unpainted and black, and showed its former use by the plastered walls inside.
Washingtonville Central School has the Clerk’s Minutes book of District No. 7 from 1818 to 1931. It begins as follows: "At a meeting of the inhabitants and freeholders of the union School District No. 7 in the Township of New Windsor at the Schoolhouse on Friday Oct. 30, 1818 the following resolutions was agreed to … Robert Burnet, Esq. Was elected chairman for the evening. Abraham Coleman was elected clerk for said district the ensuing year. William Sly, Jr., Charles Burnet and Samuel Finly were elected Trustees for the ensuing year. George Morrison was elected collector for the ensuing year. Resolved: that money sufficient to pay for the stove now standing in the schoolhouse shall be raised by subscription..." Nineteen men subscribed from 6 one-fourth cents to 37 one-half cents totaling $3.00 to have the deed recorded.
At the next annual meeting, Oct. 16, 1819, a motion was made and carried that money sufficient to repair the schoolhouse be raised by subscription.
How old could that building have been in 1819? The deed of 1810 says it was "lately built." Year after year money was voted for the repair of the schoolhouse. Somewhere in Little Britain there was a schoolhouse in 1735. That location has not yet been found, but the school "lately built" in 1810 could not date back that far.
Among the names of early school trustees and collectors are William Mulliner, Robert Sly, Henry Mills, Charles Burnet, Robert Burnet, John Finley, Isaac Dubois, Nathaniel Davenport, Lewis Miller, James Van Keuren and James Shaw.
School taxes must have been very low in District No. 7, for year after year the only money raised was for fuel and for repairs of the building. The teachers were instructed to keep track of who brought loads of wood for fuel. In 1828 James Allen, teacher, reported 8 loads and 1929 William Miller also reported eight loads.
Thus we learn the names of two of the early teachers. There is no mention of teacher’s salary in the early years, and some indication that the teacher collected fees from the pupils. In the 1840’s about $15 per year was voted for the instruction of indigent children.
At the annual meeting Oct. 13, 1840 it was voted that $25 for library fund and contingent expenses be raised for the next year. In January 1844 there was a special meeting to decide what to do with the library fund. Were books not thought of! They decided to buy a globe and a blackboard. At the regular meeting in October of that year it was decided that books be bought with the library money.
At a special meeting January 28, 1850 it was voted to have school four months from the first of December 1849. On that list of voters were William Beatty, four Burnets, six Finleys, Ussael Knapp, four Millers, two Slys, two Shaws, James Van Keuren and others. At the 1852 meeting a summer term was indicated.
In 1850 there was a special meeting to decide whether to build a new schoolhouse or repair the old. There was a majority of five in favor of repairs. The old building must have been in bad shape, for they voted to raise $75 for repairs. Annual repairs often cost only $5.
In 1866 there was a special meeting to consider building a new school. There was 25 ayes and 5 noes, and the vote was 15 to 8 not to change the site. The trustees were instructed to receive estimates of the cost of putting up a brick building 22 feet by 36. It was decided that Henry White be employed to do the mason work by the day.
During the year opinion changed about the location. Philip Smith had a desirable piece of land "just across the highway leading from Goshen to New Windsor in an easterly direction some ten rods distant. He offered this site for $300 "for school and no other purpose." The agreement was made Sept. 28, 1867 and the new school was built immediately. Its nameplate reads "Erected A.D. 1867 by School District No. 7. Learn to be wise." The cost of the building was $1166.99, furnishing $120.26 work on schoolhouse lot $79.74, total $1366.99.
The School Commissioner, Hon. D. H. Morrison, had told them they should expect the cost to be not less than $1250. In the Minutes book there are many loose receipted bills for building supplies and labor and furniture, such as "Grant E. Edgar, August 17, 1868, for 16 lift seat desks at $6.50, $104, and 1 doz. Ink wells and covers $2, total $106. Received payment from James Van Keuren."
The trustees sold the old school and site Oct. 13, 1868 to Franklin Mulliner for $200, "20 perches of land at McClelland’s Corner."
At the annual meeting in October 1873 there is the first mention of Teacher’s salary but the amount is included with incidentals so we do not know just how low it was. But it must have been better than collecting fees from pupils. Even later than this teachers were paid only $7 per week.
In 1877 a list of textbooks is given, showing that the subjects taught were reading, grammar, spelling, arithmetic, geography, history, philosophy and physics.
In 1897 it cost $38 for a new roof on the schoolhouse.
Few teachers’ names are recorded. We know that Emily Arnott taught here in the 1860’s for she gave the Book of Proverbs to her pupil Georgeanna Finley. In 1871 the teacher was Samuel Jackson. He gave a copy of OLIVER TWIST to a pupil with this inscription: August 1871 to Master James S. Finley for diligence and attention, from his friend Samuel Jackson. In the early 1900’s a few teachers’ names are mentioned, Miss Miller, Miss Mabel Harris, Miss Stukey, Miss Scofield. These are entered in the Minutes book.
For many years there was a Sunday school on Sunday afternoons in the new Clinton School with classes for old and young. This was conducted by the Little Britain church. Some record books of that Sunday school are on file at the church, showing a good sized and well-organized school.
There were sometimes a mid-week meeting in the evening at the school. In summer it would be on the lawn when the weather was good. The big even was the Sunday school Christmas party and program in the school with gifts and fun for all the children of the area.
In 1930 it was voted to have the trustees inquire into consolidation of schools. At a special meeting August 14, 1930 it was voted that School District No. 7 of New Windsor was in favor of consolidating with the Washingtonville School. There were 15 votes for it and 9 against. May 20, 1931 is the date of the last recorded meeting.
But school continued for a while at Clinton School for pupils grades one thru six, while Washingtonville was working on its building program. Supervision was from Washingtonville and the old pupils were sent there.
On July 6, 1934 the building and contents were sold at auction. The stove, the teacher’s desk, the maps, etc. were sold to various ones. The schoolhouse and lot were bought by Mr. and Mrs. John McCabe. It stood idle for some years but now they have made it into an attractive home, as are three other Little Britain district schools.
Before we leave Clinton School, let us recall that the corner there was once called Cursed Corner. James Clinton was a dour old man, and he didn’t like it that the farmers drove across his land instead of driving to where the roads met at an acute angle. He had a stone lettered and set up to tell them from the Bible "Cursed be he that removeth his neighbor’s landmark." That stone was there when the last Franklin Mulliner was a boy. When he was asked what become of it he said that the road men used it for fill. We wish some sort of geiger counter or x-ray could find it. Not much later the corner was also called McClelland’s, for Thomas McClelland had a store somewhere there.
Clinton School was names for Little Britain’s most noted family. Neither the family nor the school should be forgotten.
Created by Elizabeth Finley Frasier
February 15, 2003
